Cross street transit and multimodal multi-level station and pedestrian-oriented interchange

Abstract

A cross street station and interchange for use at the intersection of a local traffic artery with significant pedestrian-oriented improvements and features that runs between but not through two communities and a primary traffic artery that divides two dissimilar communities. It uses a variable bi-level regional mass transit platform for ticketed passengers lowered from the upper level of the cross street station and interchange to the street level and provide a platform level with the regional mass transit vehicle floor and a ramp to the height elevation of the sidewalk to disembark arriving regional mass transit passengers and allow for the boarding of the new mass transit passengers. The cross street station and interchange includes in close proximity to this platform a metropolitan mass transit stop on the primary traffic artery and local community transit services stop on the local traffic artery that can also accommodate paratransit passengers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]People are attracted to a local street (hereinafter referenced as a local traffic artery) that possess but two narrowed lanes of slow traffic, wide sidewalks, shade trees, landscape and hardscape improvements, and multi-story mixed-use and community destination buildings, with frequent storefront retail uses, arcades, awnings, and building entry areas that line the street to shelter and support large-scale pedestrian movements by responding to their needs. Such a pedestrian-oriented street will exhibit various landscape and hardscape improvements including decorative lighting, benches, seating areas, fountains, public art and similar improvements that are useful, comfortable and safe from a pedestrian's point of view so as to establish what is referred to as and “outdoor living room” urban environment. In this document, “pedestrian-oriented” is a term used to describe any structure or service that is useful, comfortable, and safe for pedestrians as w...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0073]1) all or substantially all of the well-defined at-grade pedestrian safe crossing improvements along the local traffic artery and adjacent the alignment of the local traffic artery and as it moves through the primary traffic artery such that they slow traffic and clearly identify for vehicular occupants where pedestrians can be expected to cross either street;

[0095]It is another object to provide a multi-modal station which assists in the integration of otherwise disparate socio-economic communities separated by larger multi-lane traffic arteries, railroads, canals or other geological obstacles or blocking features of the built environment.

Problems solved by technology

The nature and character of these pedestrian-oriented streets in the context of transit oriented development is well-known, but not often achieved due to complexities involved in establishing and maintaining so many environmental conditions within a system of interconnected pedestrian-oriented and transit-oriented improvements.

The laws of physics and human biological frailties indicate that when pedestrian and bicyclists come into direct physical contact with car and truck vehicles where the vehicular speeds are greater than 20 miles per hours, the consequences are often deadly for the pedestrian and bicyclists.

When car and truck speeds increase to 35 miles per hour and higher speeds, such contact is almost always deadly to the pedestrian and bicyclist.

Local traffic artery and community environments deadly or adverse to pedestrians and bicyclists due to higher vehicular speeds cannot be safe, attractive, and high quality environments regardless of any other pedestrian-oriented improvements that are made since even the threat of deadly consequence will discourage most pedestrians and bicyclists from trying to use the street or experiencing the attributes the community has to offer.

Further, many other related adverse outcomes arise:1) Each community tends to exist separate from the other2) Socioeconomic benefits the communities might gain from joint activities are largely absent despite such benefits being widely understood3) Regional mass transit is underutilized and ridership is diminished as additional stops at each community must be added to the transit routes and travel times increase with more frequent stops (since the pedestrian, bicycle and local transit trips between communities that would allow both communities access the regional mass transit in but one community or the other is virtually non-existent)4) When facilities shared by both communities are established and activities of mutual interest to both communities occur, pedestrian traffic injuries and death increase at the intersection of any street that crosses the primary traffic artery

Images